Messmer, Pappas, consider run for Congress

Tuesday

Oct 10, 2017 at 9:29 PMOct 10, 2017 at 9:29 PM

Jeff McMenemy

State Rep. Mindi Messmer, D-Rye, said she is “thinking about” running for the U.S. House in the state’s First Congressional District after Rep. Carol Shea-Porter, D-NH, announced she will not seek re-election.

“People are asking me to consider it, so I’m thinking about it,” Messmer said Tuesday. “It obviously depends on financial support and support from the constituents for me to do it.”

Messmer, who has successfully pushed for the passage of several bills aimed at protecting public drinking water and addressing the Seacoast pediatric cancer cluster, noted, “The seat has been held by a progressive woman for the better part of 12 years.”

She acknowledged the Congressional district has been “a tough seat” for Democrats to hold. But she believes her focus on protecting water and the environment would resonate with voters from both parties in the district.

“I have a proven record of being able to get things done,” Messmer said.

Messmer said she’s been talking to “a variety of people in New Hampshire and outside the state about a potential run,” including fundraisers.

“I’m considering all options. I will run for whatever seat is most appropriate,” Messmer said. “It doesn’t make sense to run for something you don’t have a chance of winning.”

State Sen. Dan Innis, R-New Castle, has been mentioned by some as a potential candidate for Congress on the GOP side. On Tuesday, Innis said he will not run for the congressional seat in 2018.

“I won’t rule anything out in the future, but this coming fall I’ll be running for the state Senate,” said Innis, who has previously run for Congress.

State Senator Andy Sanborn and Eddie Edwards, who has been a police chief and the state's top liquor enforcement officer, are both declared candidates on the Republican side.

Innis said he has enjoyed his first term in the state Senate because he’s “having an impact and doing very positive things. As far as I’m concerned, Carol pulling out doesn’t change my thinking one bit."

Innis, who has co-sponsored several bills with Messmer, said he doesn’t know what kind of candidate Messmer would be if she decided to run for Congress.

“My experience with her has largely been around the water issue, but it’s a major issue, which she’s been very good at,” Innis said.

He added that he didn’t know enough about her views on other issues.

“I can’t speak to those. I do know that she’s got a lot of energy, she’s very focused and she wants to solve problems,” Innis said. “She might have a shot. She’s been very effective on the water issue.”

Messmer has not put a deadline on when she will make a decision about whether to run for Congress.

“It kind of depends on who throws their hat in the ring on both sides,” Messmer said.

Other Democrats being mentioned in published reports for the 1st District Congressional race include Executive Councilor Chris Pappas, former Portsmouth City Councilor Stefany Shaheen, longtime state Rep. Renny Cushing and Maura Corby Sullivan, a Portsmouth businesswoman, Marine and Iraq War veteran.

Pappas said in a prepared statement he has “heard from many friends across New Hampshire who have urged me to run. I am humbled by the encouragement and am actively exploring a campaign for Congress. In the coming weeks, I intend to talk to people of all political persuasions — and some who steer clear of politics — in deciding whether I should take this next step.”

During an interview Tuesday, Pappas said he plans to “take a few weeks to make the connections I need to make” before deciding about whether he will run for Congress.

“I just want to do my due diligence,” Pappas said.

If he does decide to run, Pappas said, “I’ll want to get going as quickly as possible.”

As an executive councilor, Pappas already represents a third of the first Congressional district, he said.

But he understands that if he does run he’ll need to begin to “build bridges” with other people in the district outside of Manchester, including the Seacoast.

“I’ve been making lots of calls,” Pappas said.

If he does run, Pappas said his “top priority will be to continue the fights Carol Shea Porter has taken up.”

That includes fighting against the rollback of the Affordable Care Act, while “continuing to expand economic opportunity for middle-class families,” Pappas said.

“I want to make sure I listen and learn. I’m not someone who professes to have all the answers,” Pappas said.

One of the things that would interest him most if he runs is “being an advocate for the state” in Washington, while focusing on local issues, Pappas said.

That includes “trying to help deliver results from Washington,” he added.

What he is not interested in is getting involved in “knock down drag-out political fights,” he said.

He would instead seek to work to “help break the gridlock” in Washington and “work in a constructive fashion” with people from both sides of the aisle.

As he considers whether to run, he’s “not thinking too much about the logistics of the campaign,” Pappas said.

“I’ve run significant campaigns in a very large district,” he said about his experience running for the Executive Council.

“It’s really just about gauging people’s interest and level of support and talking to family,” Pappas said.

Shaheen could not be immediately reached for comment Tuesday. The daughter of U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen considered running for governor in the 2016 race before deciding against it.

Corby Sullivan, also a Portsmouth resident, could not be reached for comment Tuesday. She is a former assistant secretary at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs who held a number of senior national security roles in the Obama administration, including serving as the assistant to the Secretary of Defense and senior advisor to the Secretary of the Navy.

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